Driver sentenced over death of three men in Eastbourne collision

A driver who caused the death of three men in Eastbourne by dangerous driving has been sentenced.

Robbie Cook pursued the men through the Hampden Park area in a Range Rover.

The three men were in a Citroen Berlingo which lost control and crashed in Hampden Park Drive.

Twenty-one-year-old Daniel Davies, 32-year-old Jonny Day and 36-year-old Jon ‘Tommy’ Miller, all from Berkshire, died at the scene.

Cook, 39, of Croxden Way, Eastbourne, appeared before Lewes Crown Court for sentencing on Friday (November 22).

At an earlier hearing he previously admitted three counts of causing death by dangerous driving and one count of perverting the course of justice.

He was sentenced to 24 years' imprisonment, reduced to 18 years for a guilty plea and was disqualified from driving for 14 years.

The court was told how the incident happened on February 13 last year.

Footage showed a grey Range Rover pursuing a Citroen Berlingo at speed. The latter then crashed into trees in Hampden Park Drive.

The footage also showed the Range Rover drive past the scene of the crash with a person, now known to be Cook, getting out to inspect the scene with a torch before leaving the area.

Cook later lied to police, claiming he had no connection to the Citroen, had not met the men and had not pursued them through the streets. He had destroyed his phone, and later admitted to officers that he did not stop at the scene because he had drugs in the Range Rover.

The Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team investigated the incident.

Evidence gathered during the investigation showed that both vehicles were twice seen entering Woburn Way earlier in the night, where an alleged drug deal took place.

This was believed to have been arranged as a cannabis deal, however the three deceased males instead supplied large quantities of popcorn. Following this interaction, a high speed pursuit took place, during which there is evidence of there being contact between the front of the Range Rover and the back of the Citroen Berlingo prior to it crashing in Hampden Park Drive.

Jonny Day, the driver of the Citroen, and passengers Tommy Miller and Daniel Davies were declared deceased at the scene.

Detective Chief Inspector Alex Campbell said: “Robbie Cook drove recklessly in pursuit of these three men.

“The evidence showed that due to his driving he had effectively forced the Berlingo into the junction of Decoy Drive and Hampden Park Drive at high speed, leaving them with nowhere to go and into what turned out to be a fatal collision.

“Despite his actions causing the collision, he showed no concern for the welfare of anybody in the car.

“He stopped at the scene to inspect the damage and saw the three males inside fatally injured but did not remain there, did not help, nor did he contact the emergency services. His reckless driving and pursuit of the Citroen caused this horrific collision in which three men tragically lost their lives.

“Our thoughts continue to be with their families, and we were determined to get answers and get justice for them.

“We are pleased that a dangerous offender has now been convicted and taken off our streets.”